Everything is gone!

[Guest]

I turned on my computer and the screen looks the same but it looks the way it
does when you first buy a computer. All of the programs I installed are
gone, I can't find my music, or other files I created. There is only 1 user
account on the computer. I don't know how to get everything back. Thanks
for the help in advance.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I turned on my computer and the screen looks the same but it looks the way it
does when you first buy a computer. All of the programs I installed are
gone, I can't find my music, or other files I created. There is only 1 user
account on the computer. I don't know how to get everything back. Thanks
for the help in advance.

I would try a System Restore to go back a few days.

 

[Guest]

Do you have any idea why this would of happened?

I would try a System Restore to go back a few days.

 

[Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User]

Crystal

Things like this don't just 'happen'.. did you use F12 to restore your
system?.. you must have done something, instituted a procedure, logged on to
a different account..

We need to know more..

 

[Guest]

I don't really know what I did wrong. I shut down the computer, turned off
the power button on the surge protector, went on vacation, came back, turned

 

[Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User]

Could anybody else have had access to your computer while you were away?..

 

[Guest]

No, it's my home computer. What will F12 do? If I restore it, can I just
say restore to 1 week ago? Do you think this will make my old programs,
files, etc. show up?

 

[Alias]

No, it's my home computer. What will F12 do? If I restore it, can I just
say restore to 1 week ago? Do you think this will make my old programs,
files, etc. show up?

Only one way to find out ...

Alias

 

[Mike Hall - MS MVP Windows Shell/User]

Crystal

F12 is used on some computers to invoke the procedure to 'return to factory
state'.. you do NOT want to do that.. you have to establish that you are
logging on with your ID first.. using any other account may well not give
access to programs that are installed..

 

[w_tom]

It's Diagnostics 101 - that basic to fixing or learning anything.
Don't for one minute start changing anything - ie perform a System
Restore. First get facts. For example, notice how many want you to
start doing things and did not first ask what manufacturer is your
hardware. Long before one changes anything, first, one collects facts.

This will assume you are using a Windows NT OS such as XP. Now find
and review information in the Event (system) logs. From different
OSes, it can be found in the Control Panel (XP) or in
Start>Accessories>System Tools. Use Windows' Help, if necessary, to
find this historical data. Problems in your computer that the OS
ignored (so that you could keep working) are found here. Also are
information such as when computer was powered on, etc. Long before
trying to fix anything (and therefore destroy this data), you first
want to learn what you have. Event (system) logs are a good start.

Second source of useful information is from Windows Explorer at
Start>Accessories . What is (remains) in My Documents? Are your
previous stored files in that directory or were they wiped clean (as
you originally suspected).

Long before doing something that cannot be undone - ie System Restore
- first learn what does and does not exist. Diagnostics 101 - never
fix / change anything until long after facts have been collected.
Currently you are not concerned (yet) with fixing the problem. Step
one: first define the problem. Step two: fix the problem - comes
later.

 

[Plato]

I turned on my computer and the screen looks the same but it looks the way it
does when you first buy a computer. All of the programs I installed are
gone, I can't find my music, or other files I created. There is only 1 user
account on the computer. I don't know how to get everything back. Thanks
for the help in advance.

Then just put in the backup cds you of course made for your data and
copy the data back to your os.